We recognise the immense benefits offered by taking part together in creative activity, co-designed and community-led arts activity on the lives of people in crisis, as well-documented by sector leaders like the National Centre for Creative Health. Our ongoing work with older people and their carers (Tea, Cake & Art), young people with complex needs (The Future Producers and Happiness Commissions) and young families (Wild Young Parents and Trelya) is providing solid evidence of measurable improvement to self-confidence, autonomy, happiness, physical and mental wellbeing, and a growing self reliance that participants experience.
We will:
Run a sustained programme of workshops in the fabric Workroom of our Social Fabric exhibition in the winter of 2024/25, offering social and haptic life skills to young people in conjunction with partners WILD Young Parents, Trelya and Newlyn School. We will also work with 5 regional museums to explore, practically, their own textile based artefacts in community workshops.
Continue to offer blended digital functionality through our Engine Room, enabling us to simultaneously reach people in the space and those in remote locations otherwise isolated or unable to travel. This facility enables us to sustain tested programmes such as Tea, Cake & Art and launch new ones, co-designed with other communities, for example, our Future Producers as part of the Happiness Commissions.
Together with The University of Exeter, we are researching creative health programme evaluation methods that are non clinical, accessible and participant-friendly.
